1 Timothy 5

1 Timothy 5:1-25 . GENERAL DIRECTIONS AS TO HOW TIMOTHY SHOULD DEAL WITH DIFFERENT CLASSES IN THE CHURCH.

1. an elder--in age; probably not an elder in the ministry; these latter are not mentioned till 1 Timothy 5:17 , "the elders that rule." Compare Acts 2:17 , "your old men," literally, "elders." Contrasted with "the younger men." As Timothy was admonished so to conduct himself as to give no man reason to despise his youth ( 1 Timothy 4:12 ); so here he is told to bear in mind his youth, and to behave with the modesty which becomes a young man in relation to his elders.
Rebuke not--literally, "Strike not hard upon"; Rebuke not sharply: a different word from "rebuke" in 2 Timothy 4:2 .
entreat--exhort.
as brethren--and therefore equals; not lording it over them ( 1 Peter 5:1-3 ).

2. with all purity--respectful treatment of the other sex will promote "purity."

3. Honour--by setting on the church roll, as fit objects of charitable sustenance ( 1 Timothy 5:9 1 Timothy 5:17 1 Timothy 5:18 , Acts 6:1 ). So "honor" is used for support with necessaries ( Matthew 15:4 Matthew 15:6 , Acts 28:10 ).
widows indeed--( 1 Timothy 5:16 ). Those really desolate; not like those ( 1 Timothy 5:4 ) having children or relations answerable for their support, nor like those (in 1 Timothy 5:6 ) "who live in pleasure"; but such as, from their earthly desolation as to friends, are most likely to trust wholly in God, persevere in continual prayers, and carry out the religious duties assigned to Church widows ( 1 Timothy 5:5 ). Care for widows was transferred from the Jewish economy to the Christian ( Deuteronomy 14:29 , 16:11 , Deuteronomy 24:17 Deuteronomy 24:19 ).

4. if any widow have children--not "a widow indeed," as having children who ought to support her.
nephews--rather, as Greek, "descendants," or "grandchildren" [HESYCHIUS]. "Nephews" in old English meant "grandchildren" [HOOKER, Ecclesiastical Polity, 5.20].
let them--the children and descendants.
learn first--ere it falls to the Church to support them.
to show piety at home--filial piety towards their widowed mother or grandmother, by giving her sustenance. Literally, "to show piety towards their own house." "Piety is applied to the reverential discharge of filial duties; as the parental relation is the earthly representation of God our heavenly Father's relation to us. "Their own" stands in opposition to the Church, in relation to which the widow is comparatively a stranger. She has a claim on her own children, prior to her claim on the Church; let them fulfil this prior claim which she has on them, by sustaining her and not burdening the Church.
parents--Greek, (living) "progenitors," that is, their mother or grandmother, as the case may be. "Let them learn," implies that abuses of this kind had crept into the Church, widows claiming Church support though they had children or grandchildren able to support them.
good and--The oldest manuscripts omit. The words are probably inserted by a transcriber from 1 Timothy 2:3 .